Col. Stephen Basaliza

Commissioner

Col. Stephen Basaliza was appointed a Commissioner to the Uganda Human Rights Commission in July 2012. Before his appointment at the Commission, Col. Basaliza worked with Uganda Peoples’ DefenceForces (UPDF) as Deputy Chief of Pension and Gratuity and Military Assistant to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence. He held many other positions in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces which included the post of Director Human Rights, Director of UPDF MubendeRehabilitation Centre; a member of the Defence Council and was the In –Charge Civil Military Relations of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) as Coordinator of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia with the African Union (AU).

Col. Stephen Basaliza has vast experience in security and defence matters as well as politics and governance issues given his previous position as Member of Parliament forBurahya County in Kabarole District from 2001 to 2006 which exposed him to parliamentary work at a strategic level serving on sessional committees ofDefence and Internal Affairs, Presidential and Foreign Affairs and the Budget Standing Committee. He also served in various capacities at the regional parliamentary level including the AMANI Forum for Parliaments of the Great Lakes Region and Focal Group of Parliament on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Commissioner Basaliza is an accomplished Military Officer trainedat the Senior Command and Staff College- Psc (U), Kimaka- Jinja and attended senior leadership training for senior military and defence officers at the African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Human Rights and an Honours Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Social Sciences, both from Makerere University, Kampala. He also attained a Diploma of Education in Business Studies from Makerere University, Kampala and is trained in Materials Management by the East and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI).

He brings to the Commission a wealth of knowledge and skills in peace building, conflict resolution, humanitarian principles, creativity and lobbying skills. His educational background in human rights is a great asset for the Uganda Human rights Commission at both the management and policy making level.